Medications For Bipolar Disorder And Possible Side Effects 

A lot has been said about bipolar disorder, as well as its treatment and medication. It has also been said that the disorder is not curable. Despite all the pronouncements, it helps to be reminded of the aspects of treatment and medications for bipolar disorder if only to put a finger on this perplexing ailment.

Yes, It Can Be Managed

You probably know by now that bipolar disorder can not be entirely cured, but it is possible to manage the extreme manic or depressive episodes associated with the condition. It takes a mixture of pharmacological medications and psychotherapy techniques to really get the treatment job done. Aside from the conventional at-home or in-patient treatment, you can also avail of community treatment or support group therapy or employment-related and -supported team therapy.

The first priority, however, is on the medications for bipolar disorder. Medications will enable you to get a grip first on the confusing and sometimes dangerous highs and lows of this manic depressive state. Medications for the disorder start with mood stabilizers - these may be in one or more combinations of different substances depending on the gravity of your symptoms and as prescribed by your medical professional.

The best known medication for bipolar disorder is that ever-reliable mood stabilizer - lithium. Lithium is widely used because it helps in the treatment both ways, that is, it can be used not only for the highs and flare-ups of manic attacks but also for the maintenance portion or continuing treatment of bipolar disorder.

Keeping your moods stable is not an easy thing to do. Medication may have to be continued for prolonged periods, if not for life, depending on how grave the disorder has become. It will take all your time and patience and conscious effort to put the attacks in full control. Basic medications for bipolar disorder may be used in conjunction with one another in some instances.

For example, you may start in the initial treatment stages with a dose of antipsychotic medications to help control your manic symptoms, that is, until the lithium takes effect. When the manic attacks have more or less been stabilized, then antidepressants may be introduced to address the possible depressive phase that will set in. It is a continuing balancing act, with medications used differently and in combination to address the highs of mania and the lows of depression.

Aside from lithium, sodium valproate is also used as an anticonvulsant. There are also other anticonvulsants that are used as medications for bipolar disorder. Carbamazepine is used for rapid cycling bipolar disorder. Lamotrigine has been proven to be effective for the depression phase of bipolar disorder.

Anti-psychotic medications that are often used to address the extreme manic high episodes in bipolar disorder include Quetiapine and Olanzapine, both recently approved as maintenance medications for bipolar disorder.

Side Effects Should Be Expected

As in the case of any other pharmacological treatment, medications for bipolar disorder may cause side effects that range from the mild to the bothersome. In stabilizing your mood and intake of lithium, for one, you may experience weakness or drowsiness, as if you haven’t slept for days. You may sometimes get nauseous. Sometimes the weakness may manifest in extreme fatigue feelings. You may get incessantly thirsty or might feel the urge to urinate more often. Sometimes you even get hand tremors.

Again, like in other medications, the symptoms sometimes just simply go away. If they persist or even become bothersome, you should immediately inform your doctor of such instance. In the case of lithium or other mood stabilizers, a diet change may be in order, but be sure not to go on crash diets. A lifestyle change may also help, with fitness regimens and workouts to complement the medications for bipolar disorder.

While side effects may continue to disappear, knowing they can happen can help you better to cope and manage those side effects. You just have to make sure that with whatever medication for bipolar disorder that is prescribed to you, you must inform your doctor if there are other medications that you are presently taking for other conditions. These will include not only prescribed or over the counter medicine, but even vitamins, mineral supplements, and herbal products that you may be taking.